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Apple Introduces Video iPod, $1.99 Music Videos, TV Shows on iTunes

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 5:28am.
San Jose, Calif. - As anticipated, Apple on Wednesday introduced its fifth-generation iPod, which for the first time adds the ability to play video, in addition to supporting music and photos. The company also announced that it will begin selling 2,000 music videos from its iTunes Music Store for $1.99 each, along with episodes of ABC and Disney Channel TV programs like "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives," and short films from Pixar Animation Studios. The device will also be able to display video podcasts, home videos or any other video content uploaded from a computer. The new video iPod will be sold in 30GB ($299) and 60GB ($399) models that come in either white or black. "The new iPod is the best music player ever -- it's 30 percent thinner and has 50 percent more storage than its predecessor -- yet it sells for the same price and plays stunning video on its 2.5-inch color screen," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs. "Because millions of people around the world will buy this new iPod to play music, it will quickly become the most popular portable video player in history."
tags: Apple | Music Videos | iTunes | TV Shows | Video iPod |

WSJ: Google and Comcast in Talks to Acquire Stake in AOL

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 5:26am.
Dulles, Va. - Google and Comcast are in serious discussions to acquire a minority stake in America Online, The Wall Street Journal's online edition reported on Wednesday. According to people familiar with the situation, the talks focus on AOL's web portal -- not its dial-up Internet service, which has been steadily losing subscribers over the past several years. Google and Comcast are reportedly hoping that tapping into AOL's Internet content will help drew more visitors to their respective online properties. The Journal reported that Google first approached Comcast about teaming up for a bid last week, though it may end up making a bid on its own. AOL also reportedly has been in negotiations with Microsoft for several months about potentially combining their Internet operations.
tags: Deals | Comcast | Google | WSJ | Stake in AOL |

EU to Introduce Single License for Online Music Sales

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 5:24am.
Brussels - The European Commission announced that it is planning to offer companies that want to sell music on the Internet a single license for all 25 EU member states. The Commission said the absence of EU-wide copyright licenses made it difficult for new Internet-based music services to develop their full potential, as online music services in Europe currently require dozens of licenses in each country for record labels, royalty collection societies and music publishers. The Commission said the new single license would boost demand for legal downloads. "These licenses will make it easier for new European-based online services to take off," said EU Internal Market and Services Commissioner Charlie McCreevy. "I believe that this recommendation strikes the right balance between ease of licensing and maintaining the value of copyright protected works so that content is not available on the cheap."
tags: EU | Single License | Online Music Sales |

Microsoft, Yahoo to Make Instant Messenger Services Interoperable

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 5:21am.
Sunnyvale, Calif. - Yahoo and Microsoft on Wednesday announced an agreement to make their instant messenger services interoperable, creating a network of some 275 million combined Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger users worldwide. Beginning in the second quarter of 2006, users of both services will be able to send each other instant messages directly, see their friends' online presence, and add new contacts from either service to their friends' list. The two services will better compete with AOL's leading AIM instant messenger service, which claims 56% of the world's instant messenger market and 51.5 million U.S. users, compared with a combined 44% worldwide market share for Microsoft and Yahoo.
tags: Microsoft | Yahoo | Instant Messenger Services |

Texas Man Gets 4 Years, $1.15M Fine for Sale of Pirated Software, Games

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 5:17am.
Washington - A 26-year-old Texas man has been sentenced to 46 months in jail, and was ordered to pay $1.15 million in restitution, in connection with a criminal copyright infringement charge for selling pirated software and video games on the Internet. U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Dashiell Ponce de Leon operated websites that sold over 200 pirated software and video game titles, such as Microsoft Office XP, Adobe Photshop, "NBA Live 2003" and "Harry Potter 2." From Jan. 2002 through May 2003, Ponce de Leon received $192,000 in payments to a PayPal account in exchange for pirated software and games valued at $1.15 million. The court noted the sentence imposed was "warranted based upon the need for adequate deterrence of this defendant and others who might be tempted to do as he had done and also the protection of the public." Mr. Ponce de Leon was also sued in 2001 by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), eventually settling over allegations that he sold pirated games online; the current sentence was rendered in connection with his second piracy offense. "Sentences that include significant jail time send a clear message to software pirates that intellectual property theft is a serious crime and that perpetrators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said ESA president Doug Lowenstein.
tags: Games | Texas Man | Pirated Software | Fine |

Report: 60% of Ringtone Revenue Comes From Master Recording Tones

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 5:15am.
San Francisco - Sixty percent of mobile phone ringtone revenue is derived from the sale of "realtones," or ringtones that feature snippets of the actual master recording of a song, according to a report from market research firm Telephia. Traditional monophonic and polyphonic ringtones comprised 33% of the market, while ringback tones accounted for 7% of revenues. "Realtone downloads are more likely to mimic the success of online digital music downloads given the inclusion of vocals and improved voice quality," said Telephia vice president Kanishka Agarwal. "The desire for personalization drives mobile users to pay a premium for ringtones with downloads at $1.99 as compared to $0.99 they pay for the entire track online. Realtones' high revenue share shows consumers are willing to pay even more at $2.99 for tones that sound more like a real music track." Telephia' survey of over 30,000 wireless subscribers' bills found that rap and hip-hop ringtones were the most popular, with 25% of market revenue, followed by pop (17%), soul/R&B (14%), various voice tones and sound effects (11%) and alternative/punk (9%). The firm said Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl," "Cater 2 U" by Destiny's Child and "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey were three of the leading realtones in July 2005; "Hollaback Girl" also recently became the first digital song download to sell one million copies.
tags: Reports | Ringtone Revenue | Master Recording Tones |

BBC Proposes License Fee Hike to Fund U.K. Digital TV Transition

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 5:12am.
London -- Aiming to generate more funds for the upcoming transition to digital TV broadcasting in the U.K., the BBC has proposed a 20% increase in the license fee it charges all U.K. residents for TV service. The BBC recommended increasing the fee from the current $221 (£126.50) to $263 (£150.50) by the year 2013. In addition to helping with the digital switchover (including a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign), the funds will be used for new programs and new digital services, the BBC said. A number of U.K. members of Parliament and newspapers have criticized the proposal, with the Times of London characterizing the BBC as a "greedy auntie" and the London Telegraph questioning "the cheek of it".
tags: BBC | License Fee Hike | U.K. Digital TV Transition |

Konami's "Dance Dance Revolution" Game Comes to 24 Hour Fitness Clubs

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 5:10am.
Redwood City, Calif. - Japanese video game developer Konami's U.S. unit announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with the 24 Hour Fitness chain of fitness clubs, which will add the company's "Dance Dance Revolution" games to its Kids' Clubs nationwide. The Japanese arcade game was released for PlayStation in the U.S. in 2000; "Dance Dance Revolution" has sold 7.5 million units worldwide since its original release in 1998. It has also been introduced into the physical fitness curriculum in numerous U.S. school districts. "By placing DDR in 24 Hour Fitness locations we strive to help kids and adults achieve their fitness goals in an unintimidating and fun way," said Clara Gilbert, director of business partnerships at Konami Digital Entertainment America. As part of the agreement, Konami will include 30-day free memberships to 24 Hour Fitness along with retail copies of "Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2" for PlayStation 2, and "Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3" for Xbox.
tags: Games | Konami | Dance Dance Revolution | Fitness Clubs |

Warner Adding Bonus "Pop-Up" Content to VOD Movies

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 5:08am.
Burbank, Calif. - Warner Home Video announced on Wednesday that it will begin adding exclusive extra content to movies it distributes to the video-on-demand services offered by cable and satellite TV firms. The "Movies That Pop" content will include information about the actors, behind-the-scenes production details, and movie trivia, which will appear in "pop-up" windows on the screen. Up to 15 minutes of footage from between three and five scenes will be added at the end of each feature. The first Warner video-on-demand titles to feature the pop-up bonus content will be "Batman Begins" (Dec. 3) and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (Dec. 23).
tags: Warner | Pop-Up | VOD Movies |

U.K. Street Crime Up 40%; iPods, "Gadgets" Primary Targets

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 5:04am.
London - Police have blamed a sharp increase in the number of street robberies in the U.K. on the increasing popularity of iPods, MP3 players and 3G mobile phones. According to the British Home Office, street robberies in some parts of Britain have increased by 40%, with children and students being the main victims of "gadget" crime. Between April and June this year, London Police recorded more than 1,500 robberies, a 15% increase. According to the Metropolitan police, the theft of iPods alone has risen fivefold since last November.
tags: U.K | Street Crime | Pods | Gadgets | Primary Targets |

CondeNet Names Editor-in-Chief, Publisher for Style.com

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 5:01am.
New York - CondeNet, the new media unit of magazine publisher Conde Nast, announced on Wednesday that it has named Dirk Standen as editor-in-chief and Marcia Kline as publisher of its Style.com and Men.Style.com sites, the online homes for its Vogue and W, and GQ and Details magazines, respectively. Previously, Standen was deputy editor of CondeNet, while Kline was publisher of Child Magazine.
tags: CondeNet | Editor-in-Chief | Style.com |

Groove Mobile Full-Song Downloads Added to U.K. Charts

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 4:59am.
Andover, Mass. - Groove Mobile, a provider of mobile music download services, announced on Wednesday that its full-track mobile music download service has been made the sole source of mobile data to be added to the U.K.'s "combined official singles chart," maintained by The Official U.K. Charts Company. Massachusetts-based Groove Mobile's service, offered through U.K. mobile operator Orange, also provides data for the weekly digital download chart.
tags: Downloads | Music | Groove Mobile | U.K. Charts |

IBiquity Opens Taiwan Office, Releases New Reference Designs

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 4:57am.
Hong Kong - IBiquity Digital, a developer of technology that lets radio stations broadcast a digital signal alongside their analog signals, announced on Wednesday that it has opened an office in Taiwan to support overseas HD Radio manufacturers. The company also announced the release of new reference designs for tabletop and home HD Radio receivers, which Maryland-based expects to show up in new receivers shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
tags: IBiquity | Taiwan Office | Reference Designs |

Sean "Diddy" Combs on Soundtrack to Atari's "Marc Ecko's Getting Up"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 4:55am.
New York - Atari announced on Wednesday that hip-hop producer Sean "Diddy" Combs will co-produce four tracks featured on the soundtrack for its "Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure" video game. The Limited Edition version of the game will come with a CD soundtrack featuring the Diddy tracks -- which include an exclusive Notorious B.I.G. remix -- and others from RJD2, the RZA, Eric B and Rakim, Talib Kweli, Nina Simone, Jane's Addiction and Bloc Party. Developed by The Collective, the title is slated for release in November for PlayStation 2, Xbox and the PC.
tags: Music | Diddy | Atari' | Marc Ecko's Getting Up |

Cyberathlete Video Game Tournament Finals to Air on MTV

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 4:53am.
Dallas - The Cyberathlete Professional League said on Wednesday that the finals for its 2005 World Tour will be held in New York City on Nov. 22, and will be broadcast on MTV. The $1 Million World Tour, sponsored by Intel, will feature a head-to-head match for a $250,000 grand prize -- the largest ever handed out in competitive video gaming for a single match. MTV will provide coverage of the finals on its MTV Overdrive broadband site, as well as a half-hour special on the finals that will broadcast on-air on Saturday, Nov. 26.
tags: MTV | Game | Cyberathlete | Video Game Tournament |

Electronic Arts Ships "NCAA March Madness 06"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 4:51am.
Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts on Wednesday shipped its "NCAA March Madness 06" title for PlayStation 2 and Xbox to retailers. Developed by EA Canada, the game includes in-game commentary from ESPN's Dick Vitale and Brad Nessler, and features Raymond Felton of the North Carolina Tar Heels as cover athlete.
tags: Electronic Arts | NCAA March Madness 06 |

RealNetworks, Reader's Digest Launch "Super Word Power" PC Game

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 4:49am.
Seattle - RealNetworks, a provider of media delivery technology, on Wednesday launched a downloadable PC game version of "Super Word Power," based on the popular word game published in Reader's Digest. The $19 PC game will be made available on RealNetworks' RealArcade subscription game service, and from the Reader's Digest website.
tags: RealNetworks | PC Game | Reader's Digest | Super Word Power |

Nokia Releases "Atari Masterpieces Volume 1" for N-Gage

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 4:46am.
Espoo, Finland - Nokia on Wednesday announced the release of "Atari Masterpieces Volume 1" for its N-Gage hybrid cell phone/mobile game deck. The compilation includes classic Atari titles such as "Asteroids," "Missile Command," "Super Breakout," "2600 Video Chess" and "2600 Yar's Revenge."
tags: Nokia | N-Gage | Atari Masterpieces Volume 1 |

CNET News.com: Q&A with RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 4:43am.
San Francisco - CNET News.com on Wednesday published an interview with RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser, who comments on the company's settlement of a $1 billion antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft and new partnership with its former rival on digital music and video games. "We haven't done something that guarantees we'll be partners 10 years from now," said Glaser. "I'm sort of a crawl-walk-run guy, and we went from a relationship where we were somewhere between walking and running in opposite directions, to where we're walking -- and maybe in some cases even walking briskly -- together in the same direction." On their digital music collaboration, which still puts Real and Microsoft behind market leader Apple, Glaser remarked, "I think it's fair to say that the iPod is still the best product. I think we and Microsoft have an incentive to work with the hardware community to create better solutions than have been created thus far, and I think we'll do it, but I think that is something that plays out over time."
tags: CNET News.com | RealNetworks CEO | Rob Glaser | Q&A |